Pamir Highway Tour planning - Atlas Rambler Travel Guides

From visas, GBAO permits, tour or independent travel options, here is everything you need to know about booking a Pamir Highway tour in Tajikistan!

The Pamir Highway has some of the most stunning landscapes you’ll ever come across! It is one of the highest highways in the world and a must do on any trip through Central Asia. Think towering mountains, crystal-clear lakes, and stunning hikes to glaciers. In parts, the Pamir Highway feels both lifeless and dream-like.

It is one of the world’s highest and most remote roads, but the Pamir Highway isn’t just about the views. It is packed with history, tracing the ancient Silk Road and leading you to charming villages along the way.

Sure, the altitude and rugged terrain make it a bit challenging at times, but that’s part of the thrill that draws travellers to this part of the world.

You’ll get to experience local cultures staying in yurts and guesthouses along the way and see a part of the world that most people will never see. There’s something really special about travelling in the Pamirs that you have to experience to be able to understand.

Read my day-by-day Guide to the Pamir Highway.

Table of Contents

Pamir Highway routes and highlights

There are several different Pamir Highway routes for travellers to choose from.

The standard Pamir Highway route runs between Dushanbe in Tajikistan and Osh in Kyrgyzstan. The Pamir Highway route that you will take will likely depend on which form of transport you are using.

If taking a Pamir Highway tour, most people tend to deviate from the standard M41 highway to take in the Wakhan Valley. This is what we did and I highly recommend it.

The Pamir Highway route through the Wakhan Valley sits alongside the Panj River that divides Tajikistan and Afghanistan. It is a beautiful stretch of road and a highlight of visiting the Pamirs.

Hiking in the Wakhan Valley on Pamir Highway tour in Tajikistan

Which is better: Osh to Dushanbe or Dushanbe to Osh?

I honestly don’t think that one way is better than the other. Both would be spectacular.

We went from Osh to Dushanbe and the only issue was that there is a pretty rapid rise in altitude. It didn’t impact anyone on our Pamir Highway tour too dramatically, but it did make hiking on the first few days difficult.

Options for travelling the Pamir Highway

Hitchhiking the Pamirs

Hitchhiking is a common way to explore the Pamir Highway. We met some people who did it this way and loved it. I met another guy who did it and loved it, but also estimates he walked about 300km of it because he couldn’t find a ride. This isn’t typical, but it was his experience.

I have hitchhiked a few times in Central Asia, but personally I would not want to do so along the Pamir Highway. In parts it is very dry, hot and remote. You could be standing around for hours in the sun before someone passes.

When hitchhiking in the Pamirs, drivers will typically expect some money for the ride. Even locals pay for rides in the Pamirs.

Renting or bringing your own car

It is possible to rent a 4×4 to take on the Pamir Highway yourself. This would be an amazing way to see the Pamirs if you are properly equipped for it.

It is important to note that the roads in the Pamir can be in pretty poor condition. It is not uncommon to come head to head with a truck on a very narrow mountain pass. I personally was very happy to have someone else be driving.

I wouldn’t recommend driving the Pamir Highway alone unless you are a very confident driver and know your car very well.

Cycling the Pamir Highway

This is a popular option but I would only recommend it for dedicated and experienced cyclists.

We saw quite a few organised groups of cyclists with matching lycra and support vehicles. There are also the adventurous individuals that head off alone to cycle the Pamir Highway.

I take my hat off to them. Cycling the Pamir would be tough!

Taking a Pamir Highway tour / hiring a Jeep and driver

I’m putting these together because in terms of the Pamir Highway, they are basically the same thing. I’m someone who usually prefers independent travel and I was a bit turned off by taking a Pamir Highway tour.

When I did a bit of research, I realised that the term “Pamir Highway tour” usually just means that a group of people have hired a 4×4 and driver together. Pamir Highway tours generally won’t include accommodation or meals, you will pay for those in cash at guesthouses or yurts along the way.

Another big advantage of taking a Pamir Highway tour with a local driver is that they help you navigate all of the GBAO checkpoints along the way.

How to find a Pamir Highway tour

Traveller forums

This might seem like a pretty outdated way of doing things but it is in fact one of the best ways to find other travellers to join and take on the Pamir Highway.

The Caravanistan Pamir Highway rideshare forum is full of posts looking for travellers. If you’re looking to connect with people that have already found a driver, or looking to find other travellers to fill seats in your car, this is a great place to look.

Book a Pamir Highway tour with an agency

The most popular tour agency for the Pamir Highway is Visit Alay Tours. About half of the travellers we met along the Pamir Highway had booked with Visit Alay.

If you already have a group, you can contact them with your dates and what route you would like to take.

Conveniently, they also run a booking service to connect with other travellers. If you are travelling alone, check out their Pamir Highway Group page to connect with other travellers and share costs. This is what we did and I would highly recommend.

If you want to book in advance, securing a place on a Visit Alay trip is your best bet. We paid $490USD per person for a 9 day tour from Osh to Dushanbe via the Wakhan Valley.

Book through your accommodation in Dushanbe or Osh

Many of the hotels and guesthouses in Dushanbe and Osh will have lists of people wanting to do the Pamir Highway.

They may have a selection of different route options and work with local drivers. The cheapest I heard people finding a driver for was $330USD per person for 4 people on a 7 day Pamir Highway tour.

If you are interested in booking your Pamir Highway trip this way, check the reviews of guesthouses before you book to see if they offer assistance with this. Here are some of the accommodation options that help organise Pamir Highway tours.

City Hostel Dushanbe were able to send us a list of different route options and prices before we arrived. They also let us know that there were other travellers there wanting to do a similar trip.

Cow under tree in Wakhan Valley Tajikistan

Visas and permits for Pamir Highway

Passport holders of many countries can enter Tajikistan visa free for up to 30 days. This is true for Australia, Canada, Japan and most European countries.

For other passport holders, an e-visa may be required to enter Tajikistan. Check your visa requirements here.

If you are crossing overland into Tajikistan from a neighbouring country, you will need to apply online before entering. The official website suggests applying for the e-visa 2 weeks before travel.

As an Australian, I was able to enter Tajikistan visa free. My partner is from the UK and needed an e-visa to enter. Although for the e-visa doesn’t explicitly state that a Letter Of Invitation (LOI) is needed, Tajik authorities seem to be in the habit of asking for one lately.

How to get a Letter Of Invitation for Tajikistan

Sometimes Tajik immigration will request a Letter Of Invitation to process an e-visa. A LOI can only be obtained from a registered tour agency in Tajikistan. Hotels and guesthouses cannot provide them, unless they are connected with tour agencies.

If you haven’t booked a Pamir Highway tour or another tour in Tajikistan, an LOI can be tricky to come by.

Unfortunately, if you’ve booked a tour with Visit Alay Tours, they are based in Kyrgyzstan so are unable to provide LOIs. When I emailed them, they told me they could expedite a visa for $50USD and it would be ready the next day. Unfortunately they took a few days to get back to me so we had already taken another option. It might be worth asking about this option if you plan on travelling with them.

The best option to get a LOI without booking a tour is to get in touch with Discover the Pamirs. They offer a LOI service for 25 euro without needing to book a tour through them. We contacted them on a Sunday afternoon and had our LOI within 6 hours. The service was amazing.

Tajikistan e-visa processing time

If you need to apply for an e-visa for Tajikistan, do it early.

Although on the official e-visa website for Tajikistan it says processing times are 10 days, in reality it can take a lot longer than this.

This was our personal experience of a UK citizen applying for the Tajik e-visa in July 2024, in case it is helpful.

My partner applied for his visa, two days later he was asked for more information about our trip including hotel bookings and onward travel. We submitted that. A day later they asked for a Letter of Invitation. We got that and uploaded it within 24 hours.

We then didn’t hear back from them for over 2 weeks. In that time we had heard of other UK citizens being rejected for no reason so we gave up and went to Kyrgyzstan instead.

Nineteen days after submitting, he received his e-visa.

The GBAO Permit

In order to do the Pamir Highway, a special permit is required. The GBAO Permit allows you to enter what the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region. You can not do the Pamir Highway without a GBAO permit.

You can apply for the GBAO permit in person at the OVIR office in Dushanbe.

If you’ve applied for an e-visa, there is an option to add the GBAO permit to your application. This costs an additional $20USD and is granted with your e-visa.

As we travelled from Osh to Dushanbe, I had Visit Alay sort out my GBAO permit for me. It cost $30 USD to do it this way.